Frequency response: ± 1 dB 0 – 55Khz 1 x Power cable
THD: <0.03% 1 x 24VDC Power Supply (60W)
Input impedance: >8K Ohm @ 1W
Output impedance (Headphone Amp): 3 Ohm General
Output impedance (Line Level): 30 Ohm Weight: app. 1 kg Inputs: 1 x RCA line level input Dimensions: 150mm x 90mm x 50mm Outputs: 1 x RCA Pre Amp, 1 x Headphone Jack
Impedance (Headphone Jack) Power Signal to Noise Ratio Seperation 16 Ohm 2.2W 90db 99% 32 Ohm 1.5W 90db 99% 100 Ohm 0.6W 93db 99% 150 Ohm 0.4W 93db 99% 300 Ohm 0.2W 90db 99.5%
It's a nifty unit with an interesting concept, but units like the Schiit Magni and the O2 pretty much beat it on almost every spec at less than half the price.
I am a bit puzzled by something, wonder if anyone could shed some light on it for me. As far as I know, if you hook it up to the analog amplified minijack in your computer, the sound is not going to be any cleaner than what said output is. Now, that might not be the point of reviewing this amp, I don't know, maybe it's only meant to give a review of the "colouring".
You're pretty much spot on. Audio can only be as good as the lowest quality part in the chain between the source and the listeners ears. Even if a person has all of the highest quality audio gear, if the source is a toaster the audio is going to sound like it came from a toaster.
I've found that the louder your volume is on your computer + application, you start to introduce more noise and distortion. If you leave the application and computer volume low (50 or less, in my case) and add an external amp, there's little to no distortion when cranking the amp up as the sound from your computer has less noise and distortion being introduced.
That's my experience at least.. I still use an external dac, but without the dac and with a decent amp, I've had success at reducing noise and distortion.
I see, makes sense. I remember once, my friend hooked his iPod to an oscillometer and found the first 8 volume steps (in his software button) was clear sound, while step 9 and especially 10 introduced gain distortion, to the human ear we could only distinguish level 10 as being distorted though. It's the same with a normal amp I've heard. When I bought my NAD amplifier they recommended to only turn it up 2/3's. It has to be a balance I guess, you can certainly turn the preamp up too little and introduce a too little signal to noise ratio, with noise being static or other electromagnetic interference. So I've experienced on occations, for instance at parties when some bonehead turns down in the soft keys and not on the amp, and another one comes round and turns the amp up to double.